This invention relates to a connector and, in particular, relates to a connector partially accommodated in a recess of a board.
For example, a connector partially accommodated in a recess of a board is disclosed in CN 204144492U (Patent Document 1), the content of which is incorporated herein by reference. Referring to FIG. 25, Patent Document 1 discloses a connector 900 which is attached to a board 950 to form a connector structure 90.
As can be seen from FIG. 25, the board 950 has a recess 955 which partially accommodates the connector therewithin. The recess 955 is recessed in a direction perpendicular to an upper-lower direction (Z-direction). The board 950 has an inner edge portion that defines the recess 955. The inner edge portion is provided with board-side contact portions 957.
As shown in FIGS. 25 and 26, the connector 900 comprises a plurality of contacts 910 and a housing (holding member) 930 which holds the contacts 910. Each of the contacts 910 has a support portion 911, which is resiliently deformable, and a contact portion 913 held by the support portion 911. The contact portion 913 is exposed outward from a side surface 931 of the housing 930. The support portion 911 is, at least in part, accommodated in an indention 933 formed in the housing 930. In particular, an end 915 of the support portion 911 is accommodated within the indention 933.
As can be seen from FIG. 25, the connector 900 is moved into the recess 955 of the board 950 along the upper-lower direction to be partially arranged in the recess 955. Under a state where the connector 900 is attached to the board 950, the connector 900 partially projects upward, or in the positive Z-direction, from a principal surface (upper surface) 951 of the board 950 and partially projects downward, or in the negative Z-direction, from another principal surface (lower surface) 953 of the board 950. The board-side contact portions 957 correspond to the contact portions 913 of the connector 900, respectively. Under the state where the connector 900 is attached to the board 950, each of the contact portions 913 of the connector 900 is electrically connected to the corresponding board-side contact portion 957.
According to the connector 900 of Patent Document 1, the end 915 of the support portion 911 of the contact 910 is accommodated within the indention 933 of the housing 930. This accommodation prevents the end 915 of the support portion 911 from being brought into abutment with the board 950 upon the movement of the connector 900 into the recess 955 of the board 950. Moreover, even if the contact portion 913 of the contact 910 receives a force along a direction perpendicular to the upper-lower direction, the movement of the support portion 911 is restricted. Therefore, according to the connector 900 of Patent Document 1, the contact 910 is prevented from being buckled. However, according to the structure of the connector 900 of Patent Document 1, the end 915 of the support portion 911 of the contact 910 is required to be accommodated within the indention 933 of the housing 930 while the contact portion 913 of the contact 910 is exposed outward from the side surface 931 of the housing 930. This requirement limits the flexibility of design of the contact 910.